Stacking frame assembly for a pallet



March 3, 1964 G. Q- EVANS 3,123,021

STACKING FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR A PALLET Filed May 28, 1962 INVEN TOR.

050265 0. E/q/vs United States Patent C) 3 123,021 STACKING FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR A PALLET George Q. Evans, 917 S. Santa Fe Ava, Compton, Calif. Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,362 Claims. ((31. 108-533) This invention relates to a stacking frame assembly for a pallet, and more particularly to a frame which is secured to a pallet whereby another pallet may be stacked or placed on top of the frame for storage and/or for transportation of the pallets and merchandise thereon.

An object of this invention is to provide stacking frames which when assembled and secured to pallets will support in stacked or tiered assembly the pallets and said frames will protect merchandise stored on the pallets from damage through compression imposed by the weight of the upper pallets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame for a pallet which when assembled forms a unitary structure but which is capable of being disassembled for storage and/or transportation and in said disassembled form requires a minimum amount of space for storage and/ or transportation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame for a pallet having a plurality of upright leg sections securable to a conventional pallet and a generally horizontally arranged cross member adapted to be interconnected with the plurality of upright leg sections and the said generally horizontal cross member serving as a base or support for stacking a second pallet thereon above the first pallet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame for pallets which permits access to the pallet from any direction for the loading or unloading of merchandise mounted thereon when a number of pallets are in stacked or tiered arrangement one above the other.

A further object of this invention is to provide stacking frames for pallets whereby the necessity of accurate alignment of one pallet above another is eliminated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame for a pallet wherein the upright leg sections are identical in construction and interchangeable one with the other.

These and additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the drawings and consideration of the more detailed description which follows.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View of two pallets loaded with merchandise stacked one above the other and utilizing the stacking rack assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a pallet with a stacking frame mounted thereon;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2 partially in section showing a detail of construction of the rack;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 illustrating in detail the leg section of the rack as it is secured to a pallet; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 showing in further detail construction of the leg section and its securement to a pallet.

In the drawings a conventional pallet is utilized with the stacking rack assembly generally designated 11 so that when pallets 1i) loaded with merchandise 12 are stacked one upon the other, such as shown in FIGURE 1, the upper pallet will be spaced from the merchandise 12 on the lower pallet and thus prevent crushing of the merchandise on the lower pallet.

The pallet 10 comprises parallel stringers 13 to which are secured upper and lower platforms 14 and 15'. These platforms 14 and 15 may be of any suitable material such ice as sheet plywood, or as is illustrated in the drawing, spaced parallel wood slats 16. These slats 16 are secured to the stringers 13 with ends 17 flush with the outer side faces of the stringers 13 and the side surfaces of the wood slats on the outer ends of the pallet 10 are normally flush with the end surfaces of the stringers 13.

The stacking rack assembly 11 comprises identical leg sections 19 which are preferably formed of square hollow tubular stock best seen in FIGURE 4. These ,leg sections are each secured at their lower ends 19a by welding or other means to a generally rectangular shaped plate foot member 2% and normal to the plane of the member 24 when mounted. The upper end 1% of the legs 19 are open at the top. Each plate 20 is formed with a turned down flange 21 generally normal to the plane of the foot member Zil. The flange 21 extends the entire width of one side of the foot member 26. Members 20 are positioned on the top platform 15 at the corner of the pallet, as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, so that the flanges 21 will extend down the outer edge face of the platform 15 against the stringers 13, and act to position the feet members on the pallet 10.

Each of the foot members 20 is formed with a pair of holes 22 which extend through the foot member 20 and are generally located equidistant from intersecting edges 23 and 24 of the foot member 20. Additionally the holes 22 are equally spaced from the center of leg section 1%. One of these holes 22 is utilized in the securing of foot member 20 to the pallet 10. By having two holes 22 the foot member and leg sections can be used at any corner of the pallet or any space in between the corners of the pallets as is desired, and at least one of the holes will be in vertical alignment with a stringer for the reception of a carriage bolt 25.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings the hole 22 adjacent the edge 23 is utilized to receive the carriage bolt 25 which passes through the lower platform 14, stringer 13 and upper platform 15, and a nut 26 is secured upon the plate foot member 20 to retain the leg section 19 and foot member 20 on the pallet 10.

Once the foot members 20 are secured at the respective corners of the pallet, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, an upper support cross member 27 is fitted to the leg sections 19 to form the completed stacking rack assembly. This support cross member 27 is also preferably constructed of square tubular stock of the same diameter as the leg sections 19. In construction, the cross member 27 comprises an elongated rod section 28 having a length equal to the diagonal length of the pallet 10 taken from one corner to another corner. A pair of shorter rods 29 and 30 are welded or otherwise secured at one end respectively to the middle of the elongated rod 28 and projecting therefrom forming a cross, best illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Adjacent the outer ends of the rods forming the cross elongated plugs 31 which are welded or otherwise secured to the lower surface of the rods extend downward from said rods. An important feature of construction is that the plugs 31 are tilted outward toward the outer ends of the rods. It has been found that an acceptable angle of inclination is two degrees beyond a right angle as measured from the plane of the lower surface of the rods.

The plugs 31 are preferably formed of square hollow tubular stock of external dimensions whereby they will frictionally fit in the upper end sections of the vertical legs.

To assemble the upper support cross member 27 with the leg sections 19 the plugs 31 are aligned with the interior of the ends 1% and the legs 19 are sprung irrwardly from an original position as shown in phantom (FIGURE 3) and declined at approximately an angle porresponding to the inclination of the plugs 31, so that the plugs 31 may be completely inserted into leg sections 19. With the legs 19 being sprung inwardly from their normal position there will be an outward biasing of the legs 19 which will effectively retain the support cross member 27 in position upon the leg sections 19 by frictional engagement. As the legs are not permanently deformed the outward spring action in opposition to the plugs will tension the assembly. In such a construction as has been defined the need for additional securement of the cross member 27 to the leg sections 19 is unnecessary.

With the stacking rack assembly thus assembled a second pallet, such as shown in FIGURE 1, may be placed upon the upper support cross member 27 and this cross member 27 will prevent the upper pallet and its load from engaging or compressing or otherwise damaging merchandise 12 which is placed on the lower pallet 10.

Additionally with the stacking rack assembly as defined and illustrated, it becomes apparent that the cross member 27 will support an upper pallet without the need of accurately aligning the respective upper and lower pallets.

While the drawing illustrates only one pallet upon another pallet, it is to be recognized that any number of pallets may be placed upon another dependent upon the weight of the merchandise 12 which is placed on the respective pallets and the compressive strength of the stacking rack assemblies.

While the invention as shown and described calls for the legs to be mounted at the corners of the respective pallets, such placement may be deviated from by placing the legs between the respective corners, in which case the cross member 27 will be reduced and lengthened accordingly to conform to the exterior dimensions of the pallet 10. Additionally, the rack assembly 11 can be utilized with pallets of any exterior configuration and is not limited to pallets of a generally rectangular shape.

The construction of the several parts of this rack assembly provides an additional advantage in shipment of a large number on one conventional pallet. By stacking a plurality of aligned support members 27 on top of the pallet, a bundle of leg sections may be placed upright on the pallet between the cross rods of the member 27, and a number of rack assemblies may be transported to a pallet manufacturer for assembly on individual pallets.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is practical and a preferred example of the same and changes may be resorted to within the scope of my invention which is not limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures.

Having described my invention, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stacking frame construction and pallet combination comprising, a pallet having a substantially flat platform, a plurality of independent legs mounted on said platform and extending from said pallet on a plane generally normal to the plane of said platform, said legs each possessing endwise rigidity and being resilient laterally of its own plane, each of said legs terminating in socket portions remote from said pallet, a erossframe of permanently integrated construction comprising intersecting arm members extending radially outward from said intersection, said arm members corresponding in numher to said legs and each of said arm members disposed in overlying juxtaposition to one of said socket portions, said arm members each provided with plug elements projecting toward said pallet and slightly angled from the plane of said legs, said plugs interfitted within said socket portions in relatively tight frictional engagement therewith and said legs being sprung laterally to increase frictional engagement of said plugs in said sockets and whereby said frame construction is rigidifiedby tensioning of said legs.

2. A stacking frame construction and pallet combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said legs are mounted on said pallet by fastening means.

3. A stacking frame construction and pallet combina tion as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said plug elements have diameters substantially equal to the diameter of the respective socket portions to insure a relatively tight fit. Y

4. A stacking frame construction and pallet combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said plug elements are angled outwardly from the plane of said legs.

5. A stacking frame construction and pallet combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said legs include foot portions which are fixedly secured to said substantially fiat platform. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,673,700 Eberhardt Mar. 30, 1954 2,686,645 Whitehurst et al. Aug. 17, 1954 2,870,980 Higgins et al. Jan. 27, 1959 2,924,339 Skubic Feb. 9, 1960 2,953,340 Skubic Sept. 20, 1960 2,988,313 Ellison June 13, 1961 3,063,667 Doty NOV. 13,, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,211,888 France Mar. 18, 1960 

1. A STACKING FRAME CONSTRUCTION AND PALLET COMBINATION COMPRISING, A PALLET HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLATFORM, A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT LEGS MOUNTED ON SAID PLATFORM AND EXTENDING FROM SAID PALLET ON A PLANE GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, SAID LEGS EACH POSSESSING ENDWISE RIGIDITY AND BEING RESILIENT LATERALLY OF ITS OWN PLANE, EACH OF SAID LEGS TERMINATING IN SOCKET PORTIONS REMOTE FROM SAID PALLET, A CROSSFRAME OF PERMANENTLY INTEGRATED CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING INTERSECTING ARM MEMBERS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID INTERSECTION, SAID ARM MEMBERS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO SAID LEGS AND EACH OF SAID ARM MEMBERS DISPOSED IN OVERLYING JUXTAPOSITION TO ONE OF SAID SOCKET PORTIONS, SAID ARM MEMBERS EACH PROVIDED WITH PLUG ELEMENTS PROJECTING TOWARD SAID PALLET AND SLIGHTLY ANGLED FROM THE PLANE OF SAID LEGS, SAID PLUGS INTERFITTED WITHIN SAID SOCKET PORTIONS IN RELATIVELY TIGHT FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND SAID LEGS BEING SPRUNG LATERALLY TO INCREASE FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF SAID PLUGS IN SAID SOCKETS AND WHEREBY SAID FRAME CONSTRUCTION IS RIGIDIFIED BY TENSIONING OF SAID LEGS. 